Collapsible tube cap



23, 1954 c. B. KISHPAUGH ETAL 2,695,119

COLLAFSIBLE TUBE CAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 26, 1951 INVE United States Patent corLAPsrsLE TUBE CAP Claude B. Kishpaugh and Roy C. Bennett, Sr., Hendersonville, N. C.

Application March 26, 1951, Serial No. 217,422 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-494) This invention relates to a collapsible tube cap.

An object of this invention is to provide a cap for collapsible tubes which will automatically close the discharge opening or port so that the contents of the tube will not leak out.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cap for collapsible tubes which will automatically open under pressure of the contents of the tube and upon exhaustion of the pressure on the tube will automatically close.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cap for collapsible tubes which includes an inner cap member adapted to be threaded onto the tube with an outer cap member having a central delivery port and resiliently mounted closure plug normally closing the delivery port. Upon placing the tube contents under pressure the closure plug will be moved inwardly to open position.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of an inner cap member for mounting on a collapsible tube constructed according tc an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the cap assembly in applied open position on the neck of a collapsible tube.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, the cap being in closed position.

Figure 5 is a vertical section of a modified form of this invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a vertical section of another modification of this invention.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings and first to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the numeral 10 designates generally an inner cap member which is formed of a cylindrical member 11 having a top, wall or head 12 which projects upwardly from the upper edge of the sleeve member 11. A tapered plug 12a depends from the head 12 and is adapted to project into the neck 14 of a collapsible tube. The sleeve member 11 is provided with internal threads 13 adapted to engage the externally threaded neck 14 of the collapsible tube. The top wall or head 12 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart discharge ports 15 and a collapsible valve member generally designated as 16 is carried by and disposed upwardly from the top wall or head 11.

A reduced diameter connecting member 17 connects the valve member 16 with the top wall or head 12 and forms an annular chamber 18 between the valve member 16 and the top wall or head 12. The valve member 16 is formed of a bottom wall 19 having extending outwardly therefrom a cylindrical flange 20 and a diaphragm or collapsible top wall 21 is carried by the flange 2%. The diaphragm 21 is of substantially conical configuration and a closure plug 22 extends from the apex of the diaphragm 21.

An outer cap 23 is mounted about the top wall 12 being friction tight on the periphery of the top wall 12, and the outer cap member 23 is formed of a cylindrical side wall 24 and a top wall 25 formed with a centrally Patented Nov. 23, 1954 disposed delivery port 26. Normally the valve plug or closure member 22 is adapted to engage within the port 26 so as to close the delivery chamber 27 formed interiorly of the outer cap member 23.

The valve structure 16 which is of hollow construction is communicated with the atmosphere through a port 28 formed in the bottom Wall 19 and the connecting member 17 together with the head 12. The side wall 24 is formed with an opening 29 which is adapted to be in registry with the opening or passage 28 so that air under atmospheric pressure may be admitted to the interior of the valve structure 16.

Referring now to Figures 5 and 6 there is disclosed a modified form of this invention which includes an inner :ap member 3% formed of a cylindrical side wall 31 havng internal threads 32 for engagement with the threaded neck of the collapsible tube. The inner cap member also includes a top wall 33 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart discharge openings 34 with a "apered plug 33 projecting inwardly from said top wall 23, and a cup-shaped receptacle 35 is disposed in upwardly spaced relation to the top wall 33 being connected therewith by means of a connecting member 36.

A collapsible valve structure generally designated as 37 is mounted in receptacle 35 and includes a bottom wall 33 with a cylindrical side wall 39 having formed integral therewith a collapsible top wall or diaphragm 40. A valve plug 41 is carried by the apex of the diaphragm 40 which, as shown in Figure 5, is of substantially conical configuration. The valve structure 37 is a closed or sealed hollow valve structure, and plug 41 is adapted to be normally disposed in a delivery port 42 which is formed in the top wall 4-3 of an outer cap member 44. The outer cap member 44 includes a cylindrical side wall 45 which is friction tight about the inner cap member 30.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, there is disclosed another modification of this invention embodying an inner cap member 46 formed of a cylindrical side wall 67 having internal threads 48 for engagement with the hreaded neck of a collapsible tube. The inner cap member 46 includes a top wall 49 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart discharge ports 50 and the top wall 49 is formed with a circular recess 51. A tapered plug 49* extends inwardly from said top wall and is adapted to project into the tube. A collapsible valve structure generally designated as 52 is formed of an annulus 53 which is normally seated in the recess 51 and is normally disposed in covering position with respect to the discharge ports 50. A dome-shaped diaphragm or valve operating member 54 is formed integral with and extends upwardly from the annulus 53 and has secured to the top thereof a valve plug 55.

An outer cap member 56 is mounted on the inner cap member 46 being friction tight thereon and is formed of a cylindrical side wall 57 and a top wall 58. The top wall 58 has projecting inwardly therefrom in the center thereof a frusto-conical nipple 59 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart delivery ports 60.

The diaphragm 54 is adapted to normally hold the plug within the nipple 59 in covering or closed position with respect to the delivery ports 60.

In the use and operation of this cap structure referring first to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, in the closed or inoperative position of the cap, the cap will be threaded tight onto the neck 14 as shown in Figure 4. This closed position will permit the initial filling of the tube, and will prevent accidental discharge of the material if the tube be compressed. When it is desired to discharge a quantity )r material from the collapsible tube, the cap is partially unthreaded as shown in Figure 2, and the tube is partially collapsed so as to force the material through the discharge ports 15 into the delivery chamber 27 of the outer cap member 25.

With cap 23 disposed with passages 28 and 29 out of registry, the air in the chamber inside flange 2t! and below diaphragm 21 will hold diaphragm 21 against collapsing, suificiently to move valve plug 22 to open position. When pressure is built up in chamber 18, diaphragm 21 may be collapsed by turning outer cap 23 to place passage 29 in registry with passage 28. Air pressure in valve 12 will now be released so that the pressure of material in chamber 18 will collapse diaphragm 21 and valve plug 22 will be moved inwardly to open position. When the pressure in chamber 27 is substantially exhausted, resilient diaphragm 21 will move valve plug 22 outwardly to a delivery port closing position.

The cap structure shown in Figures and 6 will operate substantially in the same manner as the cap structure shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, except that the pressure of the material within the outer cap member 44 will distort diaphragm 40 inwardly, and the air within the hollow valve structure will be under compression during the time that the pressure of material in the outer cap member 44 exceeds the pressure of air in valve structure 37. When the delivery pressure is reduced or substantially exhausted within the outer cap member 44, diaphragm 40, which is of resilient characteristic, will move valve plug 41 outwardly to a delivery port closing position.

The structure shown in Figures 7 and 8 will operate as follows: When the collapsible tube on which the inner cap member 46 is mounted is partially collapsed so as to place the material in the tube under pressure, the material will move outwardly through the discharge ports 50, and when this pressure exceeds the resiliency of diaphragm 54, annulus or port closing member 53 will be bent outwardly to permit the material to be discharged into the outer cap member 56. Outward bending of annulus 53 will effect an inward collapsing of diaphragm 54 and valve plug 55 will be moved inwardly to delivery port uncovering position. When pressure against annulus 53 is reduced or substantially exhausted, resilient diaphragm 54 will return to its normal position, and annulus 53 will return to the recess 51 and will close discharge ports 50. At the same time, valve plug 55 will be moved outwardly and will thereby close the delivery ports 60.

The cap structure hereinbefore described, which will operate automatically under pressure and under the absence of pressure to open or close the delivery port in the cap structure, may be made out of any suitable material such as plastic or the like, and the diaphragms herein described are preferably made of relatively thin resilient material which may also be plastic. This cap structure will prevent the accidental discharge of material from the collapsible tube inasmuch as the cap structure is normally closed and the material from the tube cannot be discharged until the cap is partially unthreaded and the tube is partially collapsed so that the material is placed under a predetermined discharge or delivery pressure.

The tapered plug shown in the drawing of each form of the invention serves as a stopper for closing the neck of the collapsible tube when the cap is tightly threaded onto the neck of the tube.

What is claimed is:

A cap for removable mounting on the threaded neck of a collapsible tube comprising an inner cap having internal threads for engagement with the threads of said neck, an outer cap member having a skirt telescopically fitting over the cylindrical side wall of said inner cap member, said inner cap including an outer wall having a plurality of discharge ports communicating said neck with the interior of said outer cap, said outer cap having a central delivery port, a cylindrical wall extending from said outer wall, a flexible conical diaphragm fixed at its marginal edge to the outer end of said cylindrical wall, said diaphragm with said cylindrical and outer walls forming a closed chamber, said outer wall of said inner cap member and said telescoping skirt of said outer cap member having registering passages providing communication between said chamber and the atmosphere, and a valve plug carried by the apex of said diaphragm normally seating in said discharge port, pressure in said outer cap flexing said diaphragm inwardly of said chamber and thereby moving said valve plug inwardly to open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,621,097 Zammataro Mar. 15, 1927 2,026,012 Anderson Dec. 31, 1935 2,208,201 Smith July 16, 1940 2,270,794 Feldmar Jan. 20, 1942 2,607,515 Felberg Aug. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 829,056 France Mar. 7, 1938 206,334 Switzerland Mar. 3, 1941 

